Uarda : a Romance of Ancient Egypt — Complete eBook

Nemu looked enquiringly at his mistress, but Katuti
turned to her daughter, and said in a warning voice:

“I have very serious things to discuss with
you.”

“Indeed?” said her daughter, “but
I cannot be stung by the flies all the same.
Of course, if you wish it—­”

“Nemu may stay then,” said Katuti, and
her voice had the tone of that of a nurse who gives
way to a naughty child. “Besides, he knows
what I have to talk about.”

“There now!” said Nefert, kissing the
head of the white cat, and she gave the fan back to
the dwarf.

The widow looked at her daughter with sincere compassion,
she went up to her and looked for the thousandth time
in admiration at her pretty face.

“Poor child,” she sighed, “how willingly
I would spare you the frightful news which sooner
or later you must hear—­must bear. Leave
off your foolish play with the cat, I have things
of the most hideous gravity to tell you.”

“Speak on,” replied Nefert. “To-day
I cannot fear the worst. Mena’s star, the
haruspex told me, stands under the sign of happiness,
and I enquired of the oracle in the temple of Besa,
and heard that my husband is prospering. I have
prayed in the temple till I am quite content.
Only speak!—­I know my brother’s letter
from the camp had no good news in it; the evening
before last I saw you had been crying, and yesterday
you did not look well; even the pomegranate flowers
in your hair did not suit you.”

“Your brother,” sighed Katuti, “has
occasioned me great trouble, and we might through
him have suffered deep dishonor—­”

“We-dishonor?” exclaimed Nefert, and she
nervously clutched at the cat.

“Your brother lost enormous sums at play; to
recover them he pledged the mummy of your father—­”

“Horrible!” cried Nefert. “We
must appeal at once to the king;—­I will
write to him myself; for Mena’s sake he will
hear me. Rameses is great and noble, and will
not let a house that is faithfully devoted to him
fall into disgrace through the reckless folly of a
boy. Certainly I will write to him.”

She said this in a voice of most childlike confidence,
and desired Nemu to wave the fan more gently, as if
this concern were settled.

In Katuti’s heart surprise and indignation at
the unnatural indifference of her daughter were struggling
together; but she withheld all blame, and said carelessly:

“We are already released, for my nephew Paaker,
as soon as he heard what threatened us, offered me
his help; freely and unprompted, from pure goodness
of heart and attachment.”

“How good of Paaker!” cried Nefert.
“He was so fond of me, and you know, mother,
I always stood up for him. No doubt it was for
my sake that he behaved so generously!”

The young wife laughed, and pulling the cat’s
face close to her own, held her nose to its cool little
nose, stared into its green eyes, and said, imitating
childish talk: